WATCH: Trump Caught on Tape Omitting ‘Under God’ From Pledge of Allegiance — and Critics Pounce
President Donald Trump was captured on video omitting the words “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance — an action he frequently criticizes — prompting critics to pounce, and even to create a “Pledge of Allegiance Challenge.”
Pool video from Friday’s 9/11 memorial in Shanksville, PA shows Trump clearly leaving the words “under God” out of the pledge, while First Lady Melania Trump appears not to recite any of it. While the pressure of such an emotionally-charged situation could affect anyone, empathy for Trump was in short supply on social media. Journalists, athletes, celebrities, and other blue-checks laid the pledge-shaming on thick.
Trump doesn't seem to know the words to the Pledge of Allegiance https://t.co/LTQqccPuXC
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 11, 2020
TRUMP DOESN'T KNOW THE WORDS TO
THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.That's it. That's the whole tweet. https://t.co/9A1r97gtTR
— Debra Messing✍? (@DebraMessing) September 11, 2020
Hey MAGAs: The First Lady of the United States…on camera…either refused to recite the Pledge Of Allegiance or simply doesn’t know it. And your hero mumbled through it like he was simultaneously sleeping and quoting “Mein Kampf.”
— Richard Marx (@richardmarx) September 12, 2020
Do either one of them know the words to the Pledge of Allegiance?
Given how much they emphasize patriotism, and the flag, and America… https://t.co/xcSlzRqYOf
— Tim O'Brien (@TimOBrien) September 11, 2020
I’m so old I remember when Trump spent weeks smearing Democrats as unpatriotic after people botched the words to the Pledge of Allegiance at the DNC https://t.co/XV2ufBQx0v
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 11, 2020
I bet the Black NFL players who Trump calls "SOBs" know the words to the Pledge of Allegiance.
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) September 11, 2020
Why are reporters afraid to ask trump to recite the pledge of allegiance when he clearly doesn't know it https://t.co/AGuNUHwQ3s
— Matt Negrin, HOST OF HARDBALL AT 7PM ON MSNBC (@MattNegrin) September 11, 2020
1) is he on elephant tranquilizers?
2) he totally dropped “Under God” ..it looked like he belched instead https://t.co/tVtcaeXCNo— Hal Sparks (@HalSparks) September 11, 2020
Wait, didn't the right attack the #DNC when one person omitted "Under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance? #Trumpocrites #TrumpHatesAmerica https://t.co/gfIHoGgwxf
— Tara Dublin Is Anti-Fascism #BidenHarris2020 (@taradublinrocks) September 11, 2020
Where's outrage from the right when Trump omit under God from the Pledge of Allegiance today at a 9/11 ceremony? Right wing pundits are hypocrites and phony.
— David Former Trump Supporter Weissman (@davidmweissman) September 11, 2020
You mean trump tried to recite the Pledge Of Allegiance and failed, miserably. And omitted Under God- hear that evangelicals?!?
As for Melania- well, silence is golden… https://t.co/mMCOsdCHT1— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) September 11, 2020
They attack Black athletes for kneeling for something that is RIGHT and JUST.
And then they stand there and cannot even recite the pledge of allegiance.
They don't love this country.
The truth is that these are horrible, terrible people that 62 million Americans got conned by https://t.co/gyVAxnkFoY
— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) September 11, 2020
A @POTUS who can’t be bothered to remember the words to the Pledge of Allegiance, and a @FLOTUS who refuses and won’t be bothered to utter them.?? pic.twitter.com/cjWoIYvXxX
— Fernand R. Amandi (@AmandiOnAir) September 11, 2020
Has he never heard the Pledge of Allegiance?
pic.twitter.com/rPPDE3ZTpZ— Molly Jong-Fast? (@MollyJongFast) September 11, 2020
The only way @FLOTUS could recite the Pledge of Allegiance is if Michelle Obama said it two weeks earlier.
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) September 11, 2020
HEADLINE: Pres Trump “TRIES” to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. He bombed, she didn’t even try. https://t.co/NdbLQPkcj3
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) September 11, 2020
A handful of celebrities and others even created a “Pledge of Allegiance Challenge” in which they recited the full pledge on video, then invited 5 others to do the same.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE CHALLENGE!
Tag 5 people & show
Donald Trump that all Americans know The Pledge Of Allegiance.THE PRESIDENT SHOULD TOO!@MalcolmNance@realTuckFrumper@AuthorKimberley@joncoopertweets@lindyli#PledgeChallenge#PledgeOfAllegianceChallenge?#KidVicious?? pic.twitter.com/mfb00b7t81
— kirk acevedo (@kirkacevedo) September 11, 2020
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE CHALLENGE!
Tag 5 people & show
Donald Trump that all Americans know The Pledge Of Allegiance.THE PRESIDENT SHOULD TOO!@mmpadellan @frangeladuo@vincentdonofrio @davidmweissman @funder #PledgeChallenge#PledgeOfAllegianceChallenge? pic.twitter.com/dH5WoC0rgD
— Kimberley Johnson (@AuthorKimberley) September 12, 2020
I’m with @AuthorKimberley
Pledge of allegiance, CHALLENGE.
We’ve only been doing since first grade and potus doesn’t know it. Huh! https://t.co/9ilBGBp1Ax pic.twitter.com/2l2sgwKmix— Vincent D’Onofrio (@vincentdonofrio) September 12, 2020
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE CHALLENGE! (+TX)
Tag 5 people & show Trump that all Americans know The Pledge Of Allegiance ??
THE PRESIDENT SHOULD, TOO!@KimberlyEAtkins @ECMcLaughlin @creynoldsnc @MarcieBianco @everythingloria
Thank you @kirkacevedo!#PledgeOfAllegianceChallenge pic.twitter.com/JxIEEEPugL
— Charlotte Clymer ?️? (@cmclymer) September 12, 2020
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE CHALLENGE!
Tag 5 people & show 45 that all Americans know The Pledge Of Allegiance ??
THE PRESIDENT SHOULD, TOO!@MikeRoyce @kbiegel @ananavarro @EvaLongoria @JustinaMachado
Thank you @cmclymer #PledgeOfAllegianceChallenge pic.twitter.com/iyQGjCwIaM
— Gloria Calderón Kellett aka Glorita to my family (@everythingloria) September 12, 2020
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE CHALLENGE!
Thanks @kirkacevedo! Tag 5 people to show Trump we know the #PledgeOfAllegiance!
I challenge @TLynnMichaels @DebraMessing @rosie @MeredthSalenger & @Frances_Fisher! pic.twitter.com/QouBODPuIW
— Tara Dublin Is Anti-Fascism #BidenHarris2020 (@taradublinrocks) September 12, 2020
The conservative website Twitchy came to Mrs. Trump’s defense — but failed to mention her husband’s omission.
'She barely speaks English': Blue-check libs criticize Melania Trump over the Pledge of Allegiance https://t.co/XIhf3noHKC
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 12, 2020
Trump has previously struggled to get through and place his hand over his heart during The Star Spangled Banner, while consistently criticizing others over the performance of patriotic gestures.
Watch the clip above via C-Span.
